The Paddleboard Championship has taken a place in the events leading up to the Orange Bowl. Funds received in the event are donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami and the kids have a chance to paddle one on one with some of the great paddlers competition in the event.

They ran two races including the Elite and Recreational courses shown below:

The seven mile Elite course, this day with winds from the SE at around 15 to 20 mph and a nasty chop. The racers really felt this on the long run to the south close to Rickenbacker Causeway.

The three mile Recreational race. They were more in the lee for parts of the race but it was still challenging all the same.
Paddling hard against wind and chop to round the south mark off Rickenbacker Causeway

The Recreational racers make out of the marina and stroke south against the wind and chop.

Preparing to raceCLICK image twice for full sized photo

The only good shot I got of Jimmy Lewis but he is holding another brands board? Next time!

Alexandra Villarreal Menk with able helper

Folks showed up early in some cases. Here Kent with Maui and Todd from ASM, JP Australia and Imagine Boards hang out and wait for the big paddle to go off.

Rory Kam and Barbara Sage hang out

Garry of Jimmy Lewis poses with Mary Anne and Mini

Packet Casey and his lady Bianca Drouin

There were a number of water going dogs. This one keeps a weather eye astern.

CLICK image twice for full sized photo
Lining up to start the men's Elite Race. Actually in the time it took to pan this series of shot you can see them starting off in the right side of this composite.

These folks move fast and even though the photographers were in a powerboat, keeping up can be tricky.

A lady train, paddling for bear.

Bunching up and charging hard

The women paddle down to the Intracoastal in the Elite raceCLICK image twice for full sized photo

Dozens of racers stretching off into the far distance down into Biscayne Bay.

Moving the photo boat out in front of the pack again.

Candice Appleby strokes along with the USCG.

*** The setting for the race is fairly amazing by its contrast. Makes for a target rich photographic shooting environment too.CLICK image twice for full sized photo

Mother and daughter paddle hard against some nasty chop and head wind. They were FAST though and you should have seen them cook once they turned downwind.

Rounding the first mark, someone has to be first and it is Danny Ching.

A panoramic view at the mouth of the Miami River where it joins Biscayne Bay. We'll be revisiting this area soon.CLICK image twice for full sized photo

Mark and Jesse moving hard south

There goes Packet Casey

Mark Athanacio books north to the Miami River after passing the mark.

Helga Goebel ripping along into the wind and chop.

Mary Anne Boyer (MAB) padding hard into the second leg of the race.

Bailey Rosen drives hard throughout the race.

[b]So, that is Part I. I have broken this up into two parts to aid loading speed. The balance of the Elite Race and entirety
of the Recreational Race show up in Part II.
Check it out at: http://www.fksa.org/showthread.php?t=11722

Clay Feeter with the Standup Journal published a nice two page spread of one of my photos of the Pro Women moving out of
Bayside Marina into Biscayne Bay. It was a composite of GoPro images. Thanks Clay, to all the racers and organizers!

CLICK photo for full sized image

There is page after page of excellent SUP images in this special Summer 2013 Photo edition. It is a must see for SUP'er
everywhere, it is in the book stores now so go get yours or even better subscribe to Standup Journal.http://standupjournal.com/subscribe/

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